Self-propelled harvesting machine and operating method therefor

• US 7,343,262 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Speckamp, Dirk, Behnke, Willi, Baumgarten, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Kovács; Árpád Fábián
• Application Number:
  US11/527,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 702/129, 702/104, 702/156, 701/50, 700/28, 700/47, 700/50, 700/87, 700/100, 73/11.6, 738/61, 56/102.R, 56D/IG.15, 460/1, 460/4, 460/6, 460/7, 460/149
• US Class Current: 702/129
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1276 for cleaning mechanisms

Abstract

A method of operating a self-propelled harvesting machine includes continuously separating a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, in a separating step of the machine, capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow from the separating step in a measurement channel, weighing the useful material contained in the measurement chamber and determining a density based on a weight that was measured, and optimizing operational patrameters of the separating step based on the weight that was determined.

Claims

1. A method of operating a self-propelled harvesting machine, comprising the steps of continuously separating a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, in a separating step of the machine;

capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow from the separating step in a measurement channel;

weighing the useful material contained in the measurement chamber and determining a density based on a weight that was measured; and

optimizing operational parameters of the separating step based on the weight that was determined.

2. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising determining a fill level of the useful material in the measurement chamber, and based on this, calculating the density.

3. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising in the step of capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow from the separating step in the measurement chamber, filling the measurement chamber to a specified level.

4. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising feeding at least a portion of the useful-material flow to the measurement chamber continuously; and

regulating a flow conveyed out of the measurement chamber to hold a filling of the measurement chamber to a specified level.

5. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising using a combine harvester as the harvesting machine; and

using a grain tank of the combine harvester as the measurement chamber.

6. A method as defined in claim 3;

and further comprising using as the specified level a complete filling of the measurement chamber; and

directing away the used material fed to the measurement chamber when it is full via an overflow.

7. A method as defined in claim 6;

and further comprising flowing useful-material continuously out of the measuring chamber; and

making the supplied useful-material flow stronger than an outflowing material flow.

8. A method as defined in claim 7;

and further comprising including in the optimization, changing at least one operating parameter of the separating step in a direction that results in an increase in the density of the useful material that was separated out.

9. A method as defined in claim 8;

and further comprising carrying out the changing of the operating parameter only when the density determined based on the weight that was measured is less than a reference density by more than a specified amount.

10. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising including in the optimization, changing at least one operating parameter of the separating step in a direction that results in a reduction of a remaining portion of the useful material in the remaining-material flow.

11. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out the changing of the operating parameter only when the density determined based on the weight deviates from the weight density by less than a specified amount.

12. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising determining experimentally a direction of a change of an operating parameter that results in an increase in the density of the useful-material flow or a reduction of a remaining portion.

13. A method as defined in claim 12;

and further comprising carrying out the changing of at least one operating parameter so that when the changing of a first selected parameter of the separating step does not result in an expected increase in the density of the useful-material flow or in a reduction of a remaining portion, selecting and changing a second parameter is selected and changed.

14. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising iterating the steps including the weighing of the useful material and the optimization of the operating parameters.

15. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising deriving a reference density used in the optimizing the operating parameter of the separating step, of a given iteration, from a density measured by the weighing the useful material contained in the measurement chamber of a previous iteration.

16. A method as defined in claim 9;

and further comprising selecting the specific amount proportional to a change in the parameter.

17. A method as defined in claim 11;

and further comprising selecting the specific amount proportional to a change in the parameter.

18. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising using a reference density used in a step selected from the weighing the useful material and the optimizing the operating parameters, in advance with a fine setting.

19. A method as defined in claim 18;

and further comprising specifying values of operating parameter adjusted initially, as a function of a type of crop to be harvested.

20. A self-propelled harvesting machine with separation of a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, the machine comprising a measurement chamber for capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow;

a sensor for detecting a mass of a useful material in said measurement chamber; and

a control device configured for controlling the separation and for determining a density of the useful material contained in said measurement chamber and optimizing operating parameters of the separation based on the density that was determined.